What do you do?

[lunchlady]

luck has nothing/everything to do with it...

....from a judges perspective.... However, if there's 3 "we have a keeper" in front of yours, you're more likely to get scored "yeah, so what". If that makes any sense... It does happen. ....
When it comes down to it there's that element of luck. Think LUCKY.

While I understand exactly where youre coming from...I get it, I really do... wouldnt that be completely against what judges are supposed to be doing when they judge?
NOT comparing entries means give it a 9 if it deserves a 9, regardless of how many 9s were in front of them before.

I do not want to turn this into a 'bash the judges' thread, but we got a 5 in appearance this weekend on the very same ribs that have won either first or second place at this event for about 4 years. The rest of the judges gave 8s and 9s.
5 = Below average...? What the...?
That 5 is gonna bounce around in my head for a LONG New England winter... I bet the judge already forgot he gave it.

I guess my theory is, and I have said this before, what used to be a 9/excellent, has become a 6/average, which is why I quoted LD. It can even happen during the span of one category. But it shouldnt.

Back to the point of the thread... we are not going to change anything. Those ribs are righteous, we know it, and we'll keep doing them.

 

[Tack]

Did you get a comment card from that judge? Seems as tho the Reps should have looked at the score and requested the comment card from the judge due to the major difference in his score from the others.

 

[deena]

Ribs

JD.. I agree. Don't change anything. Judges are different everywhere and sometimes the world shifts... it usually shifts back at some point.

 

[Gowan]

I have been very fortunate to get a walk in 11 out of 13 comps.

Wow - you are either very lucky or the level of competition out there is low. I can tell you there is nobody down south who can go an entire season without shooting some blanks; even the best have dry spells because there are way too many good teams out there.

I would be thankful for your good fortune and keep on doing what you do. You have been very successful so why change anything? It's not a trend until you get to 6+ contests IMO.

 

[JD McGee]

JD, from a judges perspective, more often than not the difference in a middle-of-the-pack (or the top of the middle) and a winner, in a single turn-in event, is
the opinion of the 5 or 6 judges (6 in this case) at that particular table, their subjectivity and prejudices, and a little to do with which Q landed on that same table with yours. If all the other entries are mediocre and yours is better than them, then you have stand-out Q and it's likely to get scored that way. It's great when your Q is on one of those tables and yours is last or next-to-last. That way they've seen "ah, so so" a few times and then *voila* we have a keeper comes through. However, if there's 3 "we have a keeper" in front of yours, you're more likely to get scored "yeah, so what". If that makes any sense... It does happen.

Sounds to me like you're putting out consistently good to great Q. Stick with it. Dont change a thing. When it comes down to it there's that element of luck. Think LUCKY.

Makes sense to me...:becky:

Wow - you are either very lucky or the level of competition out there is low. I can tell you there is nobody down south who can go an entire season without shooting some blanks; even the best have dry spells because there are way too many good teams out there.

I would be thankful for your good fortune and keep on doing what you do. You have been very successful so why change anything? It's not a trend until you get to 6+ contests IMO.

I am very lucky...the level of competition out here is top notch. Most the teams I cook against have been to the Jack, the Royal, the G.A.B. You name it...they've been. I can only hope to be half as good as my fellow PNWBA competitors one day...

 

[Sledneck]

add some a-1 to the sauce?